Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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Question 350: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food the number of staff employed in his Department's press office; if he will outline the role and function of his Department's press office and its relationship with his own press office; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38861/08]

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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Press Office functions are carried out by a Press and Information unit of the Corporate Affairs Division in my Department which also performs a range of other functions. The provision and dissemination of information in relation to the wide range of schemes and services operated by my Department to my Department's various stakeholders is a particularly important and central activity of the Press Information Office.

The equivalent of 4.5 staff work full-time on media communications duties in this unit, all of whom are civil servants. This includes one civil servant at Assistant Principal Officer level who works as the Department's Press and Information Officer. I do not operate a separate Press Office, but am advised on media and information issues by a personal press adviser who works closely with my Department's Press Office.